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Biotechnology in one form or another has flourishedsince prehistoric times.

Planting their own crops and breed their own animals, theylearned to use biotechnology.

The discovery that fruit juices fermented into wine, or thatmilk could be converted into cheese or yogurt, or that beercould be made by fermenting solutions of malt and hopsbegan the study of biotechnology.

When the first bakers found that they could make a soft,spongy bread rather than a firm, thin cracker, they wereacting as fledgling biotechnologists.

The first animal breeders, realizing that different physicaltraits could be either magnified or lost by mating appropriatepairs of animals, engaged in the manipulations ofbiotechnology.

Defining Biotechnology

“Biotechnology" refers to the use of living organisms or theirproducts to modify human health and the human environment.

Not just for manipulating whole organisms

Using the techniques of gene splicing and recombinant DNA technology wecan now actually combine the genetic elements of two or more living cells.

Functioning lengths of DNA can be taken from one organism and placed intothe cells of another organism.

We can cause bacterial cells to produce human molecules.

Cows can produce more milk for the same amount of feed.

And we can synthesize therapeutic molecules that have never before existed.

In other words, Biotechnology is the study/manipulation ofliving things or the their component molecules, cells, tissues,organs.